The Last and Only Romance
by SonicBlade
Summary: The tale of Gen and Mei-Ling's meeting, their travels together, their growing love, and the trials they must face together.
1. Part I: Scrap

The Last and Only Romance

The Last and Only Romance

Michael Collins

Part I: Scrap

I met her in a town called Scrap.

The name fit the town;It was like a monument to spare metal, pieces of trash, leftover parts.Not the best place to live in, but one can't be choosy in a world like ours.

I went to the bar, Scrap's only redemption.I sat down, ordered a beer, reveled in the familiar taste and my dulled senses.Just like most others at the bar, I had things I wanted to forget.Life had been pleasant in some places and bitter in others.Bitter in most, really.

I'd been looking for someone I knew there.Maybe my robot friend, or the animal man would show up.They never did, but as I looked around I saw her.

She stood out from the trash of Scrap, the other residents who wore dull gray and brown colors, unkempt and unclean.Like me.She was sitting by herself in a table in a far corner, the dim lamplight above her illuminating her shining purple hair, her smooth face, blue eyes.She wore a dark black vest over a brilliant pink dress.She shined.

She was attractive;I was lonely.I got out of my seat and slowly walked over to her.I reached the corner and looked into her eyes.She was surprised, a bit nervous to see someone showing interest in her.I wanted to ease her fears.I said:"You look lonely.Care to talk?"

She paused for a bit, then nodded slowly.In this place, time slowed.The night became everlong, until the bar finally closed, the lights dimmed to blackness, the patrons left.

"Your name?"she said.Her voice was a smooth, husky alto.She spoke softly, but I could still hear her above the din of the place, and it was a refreshing difference from the grunts and roughness of the men.

"I'm Gen."No need to tell where I was from;No one wanted to know.First names only, there, keep your past to yourself where it belongs.

"I am Mei-Ling," she replied.Her face gained a slight bemusement."No luck with the other ladies tonight?"

"You're the first I've talked to," I replied."None of the other women in this cheap town compare."

A small smile, wry.She was sophisticated, took it with grace.

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to buy you another round?"I asked, noting that her glass was empty.

"Do you expect anything in return?" she challenged.Obviously, men weren't too caring around that area.

I thought."A smile.Unless you wish to give me something more."That was a challenge in its own right.

"A smile I can give, more if I decide.Yes, I'd like another drink, and a companion to share it with."She held her word.As I gave her a small, amused grin, she showed her full smile.I was dazzled.

"Alright, excuse me for a moment."I left the table and walked up to the bar.

So far, so good.I'd played right, stayed cool, no worries.She was interested in me, I was sure.I definitely was interested in her.I hadn't seen a girl like that in a long time.

I picked up the drinks and returned to the table.


	2. Part II: Mysterious Cause

The Last and Only Romance

The Last and Only Romance

Michael Collins

Part II: Mysterious Cause

I was surprised when came up to me;surprised when he offered to buy me a drink.

However, after a fairly long conversation, during which Gen did nothing to irritate me or show a single fault, he surprised me even more by asking me to come with him.

He asked me to come with him and his robot friend, T-260G, to help them fight Caballero.

At first I thought he was joking.Caballero had had a firm hold on Scrap for as long as I could remember.No one dared to mess with him.

Evidently, no one should have messed with Gen, either. 

He told me that Caballero's henchmen had kidnapped a boy named Thyme in his home town, Junk.Gen and T-260G had rescued him, but it wasn't easy.Now they wanted to settle up with the tyrant.

I thought about it.I was good with guns;I usually carried two around with me, one hidden, one not.It was important to have protection in a town like this.I also knew a few Light magic spells, just in case something very threatening happened.Gen seemed nice enough, I found myself wanting to please him, and the cause could not be better.

But Caballero was dangerous.He had more henchmen than Gen could guess, and even if I joined Gen and the others, I thought, it would still not be enough.

Then I realized that if I didn't do this, I would go nowhere.Life in Scrap was worse than boring;it was dangerous, it was hell.One like me, a commoner without any real ties, could only live in a small place and stay at the bar.I worked at the Junk Shop occasionally, when they needed extra help.That wasn't good for me.I realized that I hadn't thought about my future much.

That was when I decided.I couldn't stay in this town any longer.Life was meaningless.If I helped them, I'd have something worthwhile to put my energy in.Maybe I could even leave Scrap.The idea was so remarkable, so wondrous, that it was like a fairy tale dream.Once you've become set in a way of life, a change seems incredibly strange.

"I'll go with you," I said."You're going to need help, I can tell you that.Caballero's not an easy enemy to deal with."

"With you on our side, we won't have to worry about anything," said Gen, smirking.

I laughed."If only it were so easy."

We prepared ourselves;Our group consisted of Gen, myself, the robot T-260G, and a monster named Riki.It was four against a large group of thieves, robbers, and gang lords.

I made myself forget fear.


	3. Part III: Entering the Fortress

The Last and Only Romance

The Last and Only Romance

Michael Collins

Part III: Entering the Fortress

We stocked up on supplies and headed out.

I was surprised at Mei-Ling's courage.She barely hesitated when she decided to come with us.It seemed to me like she'd been waiting for something to do with her life, much as I had when I'd watched T-260G fight in the arena at Junk.

Caballero's factory was to the north of town and covered most of Scrap.It was guarded by well-armed robots and fierce soldiers.It wouldn't be easy, but I knew battle tactics.I advised the group that sneaking in and taking them out one by one would be the safest way.It wouldn't be glorious, wouldn't be clean.But we were serious.We were going to end Caballero's reign of terror, and we were going to get revenge for Thyme's kidnapping.

Riki was more than nervous at the concept.As Mei-Ling had said, he was nothing more than a child.Witless and confused, he nevertheless didn't falter when we entered the facility.I admired his tenacity, but I had to worry about myself.I was no fool;I knew that I could easily die.I'd never really worried about my own life that much.I wasn't doing the world much good anyway, and I wasn't all that happy.However, now I was depended on.Although he was a Mec, T-260G had become a strange sort of friend.Riki was nearly defenseless, and was too innocent to leave alone.Mei-Ling, I had known for only a day, but I could see a potential for something.Something with me, something better than what I had now.She looked perfect for me, I could find nothing wrong with her;And her personality was, so far, the same.There was a fundamental distrust about her, but that I could understand.I was much the same.

Thus I made a promise to myself.Stay alive as long as the others escaped from the facility.Protect them at any cost, and maybe I would have done something good, for once.

When we reached the facility, I motioned for the others to wait.I drew my sword, a KukriBlade, and jumped behind a pile of junk metal.A robot guard was standing silently on the other side, lights on its head blinking and small sensors rotating.Quietly, I rounded the pile of parts and plunged my sword into the back of the Mec, then drew it out, tearing the vital circuitry than ran from the head to the energy source.I grabbed the Mec before it could fall to the ground and clatter, and dragged it out of sight.

The way was clear.I motioned to the others to go forward.We'd go through the small supply room to the east of the factory, then find our way to the door.

We progressed.T-260G and I put down any guards and Mecs that chanced upon us.Luckily, the path we had chosen did not cross among too many of them.We wanted to make as little disruption as possible, and we also didn't want to kill anyone unnecessarily.We were after Caballero, not anyone else.

We arrived at the entrance.We waited a moment to get ready.There would be many of Caballero's cohorts inside those two huge metal doors.I looked at Mei-Ling and Riki enquiringly, and they nodded.

We ran forward and busted through the doors.

It was chaos.


End file.
